Gersh Loses Two Actors, Signs Two Actors

UPDATE: Someone close to the star of TNT’s The Closer clarified to me that “her team is completely intact except for Gersh. She has the same manager, same lawyer, same publicist, same assistant. Everything’s the same but Gersh.” And, further, that her rethinking her agency “has nothing to do with Bernie Madoff.” So, now that’s clear, she took meetings with various agencies and on Friday signed with UTA. (See my Kyra Sedgwick Signs With United Talent.)

Clients come, clients go, but agencies last forever. So it is at Gersh which recentlly lost Djimon Hounsou to CAA, and Kyra Sedgwick to no one yet. (I’m told she’s rethinking her team in the wake of being caught up in the Bernie Madoff financial situation.) Both clients moved on as part of the fallout from Gersh agent Lorrie Bartlett switching teams and joining ICM some months ago. But, interestingly, neither client followed Bartlett there.

Meanwhile Gersh has signed two-time Academy Award nominee James Woods from CAA. It has also signed Jennifer Beals and immediately put her into her first feature film in years — The Book of Eli, an action thriller with Denzel Washington. As for Woods, who’s quite a handful, he’s producing and directing the feature An American Girl with Gersh client and Twilight star Kristen Stewart attached to star. “She said it was the best thing she’s ever read,” an insider told me. I hear that CAA’s Chris Andrews labored to get it made for Woods, but its Iraq element makes it difficult. In December, after Gersh’s Ken Kaplan set up a meeting between Woods and Stewart, Jimmy suddenly asked to be Kaplan’s client.

22 Comments

Jennifer Beals probably got into the Denzel movie cuz of their connection from Devil In A Blue Dress – not a hard sell, methinks, by Gersh or anyone else…

Lemon • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Saying James Woods is a handful is like saying 911 caused a bit of damage. Not being honest! James Woods is perhaps the worse example of celebrity gone mad that I can think of. Quietly trolling Hollywood thinking his one note talent will keep him working. People are sick of his behavior period, talent is not worth the pain. CAA is celebrating..

Gersh PR • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

sounds like spin from Gersh losing several clients that acutally make money and signing some washed up ones. What do you do with Woods? He burns every bridge (i.e. “Shark”). I wouldn’t be surprised if nikki’s next post on that place is “Kristen Stewart Signs with CAA”

Former 10 percenter • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

As Limato said to me once, “They all leave.” All 3 had been at ICM: Kyra with Steve Dontanville, Djimon with Chris Andrews and Woods with Toni Howard. Chris stole Woods from Toni when he went to CAA. Djimon didn’t get enough attention and went to Gersh. Dontanville left the business (for a time) and Kyra had no career (then). Wait a 20 minutes and it will all change again.

anhonestAnswer • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Again, I will be honest.

Gersh is a third rate agency. They are on the fringe of being third tier instead of second tier.

CAA
Endeavor
UTA
WMA
ICM

Paradigm
APA
Innovative
Gersh

The rest.

My experience is with all of the above. Gersh is a fragmented place. They also tend to be short sighted and interested in the very moment. Not one to see the big picture. If you look at their talent department, many were servicing agents and better agencies and have continued to be servicing agents at Gersh. Doesn’t mean they are bad people and this is my experience which is top notch.

Thank you.

anonymous • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

gersh also lost S.EPATHA MERKERSON last month

ewk • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

James Woods being “quite a handful”? Ha ha, ha, ha! Both literally and figuratively, huh?

gotmyjd2003 • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

“Gersh is a fragmented place.”

Seriously laughing-out-effing-loud! Um…EVERY agency is a fragmented place because of the inherent conflicts of interest between departments (The MP agents don’t want the talent doing TV, because it’ll tie them up for up to 6 1/2 years, the Music Department doesn’t want clients doing movies or tv, because it’ll take away time from their touring and merchandising efforts, the TV Department…well, they just take it) and then the internal politics of every agent having his or her own political agenda.

And I say that coming from experience. While I’ve never worked at Gersh, the feedback I hear from the casting community and directors I’ve talked to is that the agents there are ALWAYS hard-working, arguably because they have to be. Let’s at least be fair about it.

freakspot • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

If APA got their talent dept up to the level of their Comedy, Music and Reality Depts, they would be a major force.

LAGal2007 • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Yes, i agree on some of these posts that a lot of their premier clients jump here or there, but honestly Gersh puts in all the quality time and work with the talent helping them become stars. Sure they’re not the monster {monster being the KEY word} that CAA is but they definitely do a hell of a better job discovering TALENT than CAA.

Tim P. • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Ha. Sounds like someone got fired from Gersh and is very bitter (… ahem, anhonestanswer). I dont think Gersh is CAA but that list is ridiculous. I didnt even know APA was still in business.

The gay/ lesbian community will give Jennifer the support she needs. She has often said she is happy not being a bi name hounded by everyone..So whomever she chooses to represent her is fin by her thousans, may millions of fans all over the world. Arguing about who is good and what tier is way too high school

ali • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Why does Kristen Stewart get any work. Her range consists of lengthy pauses, twitching and stammering through any role.If you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.

Del Coro • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

he’s producing and directing the feature An American Girl with Gersh client and Twilight star Kristen Stewart attached to star. “She said it was the best thing she’s ever read,” an insider told me.

Not fired from Gersh. I tell it like it is. I have no worries in the world. Independently in good shape. I know the truth. I know the highest levels in all of these agencies. My upbringing allows that. If you look at what I said it was not an attack. It only becomes one when it is not the truth.

Thank you.

MorningWoods • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

She’s still young enough for Jimmy’s tastes. For a couple years anyway. Nice pimpin’, Gersh!

curious reader • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Oh gawd, anhonestAnswer, who cares about your ‘upbringing’? I happen to know people at ‘the highest levels’ also, and Gersh agents are some of the most respected agents in the business, because, as others have mentioned, they work tirelessly and they evolve their talent into stars. They are highly respected in every side of the industry (their below-the-line list alone puts them far far ahead of APA and the others on your second-tier list. And Innovative…are you kidding me????). Whether they can hang on when everyone else is conglomerizing is an entirely different issue, but it has nothing to do with the respect-level or skill of the agents or the agency.

calrafe • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

Is Kyra still with Jill Littman as manager?

chany • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

why are people dissing on Kristen Stewart don’t be haters. she’s a great actress. As for James wood he’s alright if Gersh signed him on they must see potential. Plus he chose Kristen so he’s thinking right.

heard oscar nominee bob balaban went to icm friday and always thought he was a nice actor but looked at imdb and didn’t realize beyond all that chris guest stuff he has a HUGE resume as a producer and director. a class guy who actors love and it seems like a loss for gersh, isn’t it?

F. • on Jan 29, 2009 1:29 pm

I’ve worked with Gersh, and when the right prodding happens internally, they definitely get behind their clients and get them meaningful work opps.